MTV Announces '16 And Pregnant' Abortion Special — That's Brave, But Will It Be Exploitive?

We know Sarah Palin will have a meltdown – tackling the topic of abortion and teens , but it’s a big issue and we wonder- can MTV handle it well?

MTV is planning a bold addition to their 16 and Pregnant franchise with a new special focusing on abortion called No Easy Decision. Entertainment Weekly reports that the special, airing at 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 28, will follow former 16 and Pregnant star Markai Durham as she debates whether or not to have an abortion after becoming pregnant for a second time. Celebrity Rehab host Dr. Drew Pinsky will also be involved with the project, discussing abortion with other real-life teens who elected to terminate their pregnancies.

We understand MTV is aiming to show all sides of teen pregnancy with their programming,and we applaud the channel’s decision to explore the subject based on one girl’s journey . We just hope this is all done with warmth and sympathy and is not exploitive.

We also fear that if Markai does decide to opt to terminate her pregnancy, that she will get hate mail and possibly even death threats. Thankfully – for those who worried that the shows, 16 and Pregnant, and Teen Mom, would encourage teen pregnancies – the new data doesn’t support that. The nation’s teen birth rate hit an all time low in 2009, according to the National Center of Health Statistics government , released Dec 22nd.